Marion County RECORD

Alice Johnson took the job as Florence’s librarian in March because she loves books — she said that was her singular qualification. She identifies with library regular Betty Fetrow. At 90, Fetrow will stop in at the library once a week and take at least five books off the shelves — sometimes it’s as many as eight novels. She reads them all in one week’s time and returns like clockwork each week, hungry for more. Occasionally Fetrow will ask if Johnson has read a particular book, to which Johnson usually responds, “No but you said it was good.”

Dr. Lane Smith opened his chiropractic office, Smith Chiropractic & Acupuncture, Nov. 5 in downtown Marion, but the path that led him to the office began when he was in high school. Smith injured himself playing football and lifting weights when he was in high school.

Shepherd’s Shed, 900 E. Main St., Marion is a clothing charity. Men can come into the store and pickup a suit or other dress clothes for a necessary job interview on Wednesdays. Some mothers will shop for their entire family, for six children. However, Shepherd’s Shed founder Robin Dicks provides more than just a new pair of jeans. On the signup sheet in the front of the store there are slots for name, family members, shopping for, and a blank asking if they want Dicks to pray for them. Dicks has set aside an area with two chairs where she prays with clients.

When the doors opened on Christmas Celebration in Marion at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the Marion Community Center was already full of art, food, and the people who made both. In just a few hours, a food drive received $1,100 worth of food to donate to Marion County Emergency Food Bank. In the basement of the city building, Mary Beth and Greg Bowers put on a puppet show about the meaning of Christmas for an audience that grew throughout the performance. By the end of the show, about 20 children were gathered around. Afterward, author Shana Rothrock spoke to the children about writing, and developed an idea for a story with them.

Santa will be visiting Ampride stores in Marion and Hillsboro on Dec. 15. He will be in Marion from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and in Hillsboro from noon to 1:30 p.m.

John Leroy “JB” Bloomer was called home to Heaven on Dec. 3, 2012. He was born to Henry and Caroline Bloomer on April 6, 1936, in Florence, Kan. He was raised in Peabody, Kan., until he joined the Army in January 1955, returning home in December 1956. He married Cora (Clithero) Bloomer on Dec. 19, 1958. The same year he started J.B.’s Repair as the owner/operator. In 1980, he started at the Farmer’s Grain Coop as a mechanic and millwright until his retirement in April 2001.

Nova Louise Bruner, 75, of Marion died Nov. 27. She was born Oct. 29, 1937, in Marion to Floyd and Velma Bogart Bredemeier. She attended Marion schools and was a Marion High School graduate with the class of 1955. She married Merle Bruner on Feb. 12, 1956.

Myrna R. Eskeldson, 75, of Ramona, died Monday at Herington Municipal Hospital. She was born Aug. 10, 1937, to Martin F. and Martha E. (Krause) Brockmeier at their home west of Herington. She was a homemaker. She graduated from Hope High School in 1955. She was a dental hygienist until 1960 and later worked part-time in the Ramona Post Office. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Ramona.

Gerald D. “Jerry” Harp, retired mortician and past owner of Thompson-Harp Funeral Home in Marion, Kan., passed away Nov. 30, 2012, at the age of 88. Born in Penalosa, Kan., on April 29, 1924, he was the son of Ralph and Myrtle (Hurty) Harp. He spent most of his youth living in Wichita with his parents and brother Ronald and sister Joanne. He was a 1942 graduate of Wichita North High School. He attended Kansas State University and then the University of Kansas.

Ronnie L. Knott, 57, died Monday at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. He was born Oct. 9, 1955, in Newton to Robert and Edith (McCann) Knott. He was a graduate of Hesston High School and worked as a carpet and flooring installer.

Robert E. “Bobby” Muhlig Jr., 48, of Herington, died Thursday at his home. He was born Aug. 26, 1964, to Robert Sr. and Judy (Catlin) Muhlig in Manhattan. He was a lifelong resident of Herington and graduated from Herington High School in 1982. He was a supervisor for Hamm’s Quarries for more than 25 years. He loved hunting, fishing, archery, motorcycle riding, and spending time with family and friends.

Marion County Commission approved bonuses and merit-based raises for full-time county employees on Friday. Every full-time employee is to receive a $100 year-end bonus, and every full-time employee whose evaluation determined they met expectations will receive a 1 percent pay raise, effective Dec. 21. Marion County has 102 full-time employees, County Clerk Carol Maggard said.

Our drive to find families, individuals, or organizations in need of help picked up steam this week, as we received 10 nominations for Hoch Publishing Company’s $1,000 Christmas donation. It’s becoming obvious already that there are plenty of worthy causes in Marion County to help, so for the next week Hoch Publishing Company will add $10 to the donation for every new or renewed subscription to the Marion County Record, Hillsboro Star-Journal, or Peabody Gazette-Bulletin. A theme continued from last week’s nominations are families going through hard times because of job loss, either because of health issues or the economy. Marlene Herzet of Hillsboro nominated a family in which the husband lost his job after a fall worsened a preexisting health problem last year. The husband has found work since then, but the pay isn’t as good, and he undergoes treatment for the worsened health problem.

December is here, and that means guests visiting for the holidays. There are all kinds of guests. Some are great fun while they’re visiting, but afterward their hosts are exhausted. Some guests make you question why you invited them in the first place as soon as they walk in the door. But then there are the ideal guests, those who you’re glad to see from the very beginning until they leave, and then you’re sad they couldn’t stay a little bit longer. Friday night at Southeast of Saline, Marion High School’s basketball fans and supporters fit squarely into the ideal guest category. From the very beginning, a proud mother who went early to see the junior varsity game made friends with a young girl from Gypsum, even going so far as to share her snacks from the concession stand, while the girl’s father announced the games. I’m sure that on the way home, her dad got to hear all about her new friend.

This week has been a phenomenal time for Christmas news in Marion, with art, entertainment, and a parade, not to mention popular home tours raising money for Marion City Library, a food drive collecting $1,100 worth of food for Marion County Emergency Food Bank, and the Tunnel of Lights attracting about 1,300 people to Marion County Lake. We wish all news could be so positive, but even the Christmas season isn’t immune from bad news and curious decisions. We wish Marion City Council hadn’t decided Nov. 26 to eliminate its long-standing incentive for residents to make the town a more festive place for holiday events and shopping. Eliminating the $9 to $10 credit on electric bills may not immediately result in fewer Christmas decorations around town. And maybe a few people abused the system to get a credit without really decorating. But the credit had a purpose.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

The Emporia State University Kansas Small Business Development Center will have a consultant in Marion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 20. The consultant will be available for one-on-one meetings at the Marion campus of Butler Community College, 412 N. Second St.

Tabor Mennonite Youth Fellowship will have a live Nativity scene with actual farm animals, Night in the Barn, from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16 in the barn of Maynard Knepp and Carol Duerksen. The come-and-go event will include perspectives from the innkeeper and a shepherd, as well as Christmas carols. There will be a bonfire guests can gather around and hot drinks. Donations to the youth group will be accepted.

Thousands of charitable organizations are registered in Kansas, and many of them rely on the generosity of Kansans during the holiday season. Legitimate charities engage in a wide variety of important work that helps our communities stay vibrant and strong. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has sent out a message warning people that scammers are out there who may appear to be non-profit organizations but whose real purpose is to take advantage of their generosity.

Santa will be at Marion City Library from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Children may visit Santa and then make a Christmas ornament in the library. Children may write letters to Santa and drop them off in the library mailbox. Santa will write a letter back. Letters must be received by Dec. 12.

As a college student in California, Laura Paulus often looked for ways to make and give inexpensive Christmas gifts out of necessity. Now married and living in Hillsboro, she still enjoys putting her creative mind to work and finding ways to make inexpensive gifts for giving, even if she does not have to. “I just love collecting old dishes, wine glasses, and antique glassware,” Paulus said. “My friends and relatives even collect stuff for me and give it to me for my hobby.”

State Farm Insurance offices in Hillsboro and Marion will have a holiday open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. Refreshments will be served.

Mark Harms, a Marion County rancher, was elected Nov. 30 by the Kansas Livestock Association to serve as president of the organization during the next year. Harms and his wife, Kim, own and operate Harms Plainview Ranch in rural Lincolnville. They raise registered Angus, Red Angus, and Charolais cattle.

Marion American Legion Post 22 will host National Vice Commander Glenn Hickman on his three-day tour of Kansas with a reception at 3:15 p.m. Dec. 12 at the American Legion Post 22, 424 E. Main St., Marion American Legion Members, guests, and the public are invited to hear Hickman speak on Legion programs and issues concerning veterans and the nation. Hickman is a U.S. Air Force veteran from Grove City, Ohio. He is a life member of Post 1 in Columbus, Ohio. He previously served as department commander in Ohio and has been an active volunteer at the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus since 1985.

Justin Deines, 18, of Ramona is a new junior member of the American Angus Association. As a junior member, he is eligible to register cattle in the AAA, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association, and take part in association-sponsored shows and other national and regional events.

Robert and Ryan Jones, sons of Jason and Sherry Jones of Fair Grove, Mo., received their American FFA Degrees on Oct. 27 at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. They will attend Northeastern Oklahoma College in Miami, Okla. They participated in the NEO livestock judging competition and received several awards.

CORRESPONDENTS:

MEMORIES:

WEDDING:

A free screening for children birth through 5-years-old will be Tuesday at the Christian Church, 334 W. 5th St., Florence. Appointments will be available from 12:30 to 3 p.m. At the screening, development will be checked in learning, motor, language, and social areas. Vision and hearing will also be screened. This process usually takes at least one hour for a child to complete. All children are welcome, but an appointment is necessary.

As wrestlers still get settled into their appropriate weight classes, Marion High School wrestling team placed eighth out of 17 teams in the Mission Valley tournament Saturday. Luke Steele wrestled in the 160-pound division, but the plan is to move him into the 145-pound division, head coach Chad Adkins said Monday.

Poinsettias will be on sale from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Centre High School greenhouse. Due to the hot and dry summer, only red poinsettias will be available this year. Funds raised will go to the Centre FFA chapter.

The Marion High School boys’ basketball team began the season with a 61-47 victory at Southeast of Saline on Friday. The Warriors’ up-tempo offense and aggressive defense were too much for the Trojans to match. Seniors Jordan Hett and Jacob Harper combined to score 50 points for MHS, with Harper scoring 26 and Hett scoring 24. SES couldn’t stop either player from getting into the lane. Hett got into the lane by using his speed to drive right past defenders, and Harper used fakes to open up lanes to drive to the basket.

As wrestlers still get settled into their appropriate weight classes, Marion High School wrestling team placed eighth out of 17 teams in the Mission Valley tournament Saturday. Luke Steele wrestled in the 160-pound division, but the plan is to move him into the 145-pound division, head coach Chad Adkins said Monday.

The Marion High School Warriors girls’ basketball team began its season with a 49-16 loss Friday at Southeast of Saline, but the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of how the Warriors played. Marion’s offense committed few turnovers even in the face of pressure defense. Most trips down the court, the Warriors were able to get a shot attempt, although few of them were successful. On defense, Marion played with sound position but just couldn’t stop SES stars Erica Montgomery and Heather Cleveland from scoring. When SES did miss shots, the Warriors rebounded well and prevented second chances for the Trojans.

The Centre High School boys’ basketball team defeated non-league St. Xavier, 107-36, Friday at home in the opening game of the season. It wasn’t much of a contest as 12 Centre varsity players contributed and scored points. Starters were Ty Simons, Grant Srajer, Justin Deines, James Wyatt, and Kyle Methvin.

The Centre High School girls’ basketball game Friday at home against non-league opponent St. Xavier provided an easy victory. The girls swamped them 58-12. Xavier had just six players on its roster. Centre starters were Shelby Makovec, Cacey Simons, Bryanna Svoboda, Beka Basore, and Ellie Miller.